Epidemic
by D.Gray-Man 411Critic
Summary: AU: 1986; Allen has changed slightly over the last three years. He co-owns a club. His friends are something special... And Allen has AIDs; claiming he's bisexual also, these obstacles don't deter Lenalee's steadily growing affections for him. But she always thought their strong bond was friendship. So why does she get jealous?
1. Flown Bird

_**[ ONE ]**_

_**August 18th, 1986**_

Lenalee looked at the photograph of her friend's club, then at the building in front of her. He told her the club was huge, but she didn't think it would be this big. It was almost half a block big! Then, Allen said there had a variety of things to inside, and that she would love it there. Double-checking the similarities between the photo and the building. As easy as it may sound, it wasn't. The sun was down and in the photo the sun was up and the street near empty. Red, purple, white, black, and yellow neon lights sparked on, a couple flickering, signaling they were dying. A crowd of people walked by the club, in and out, and Lenalee found it hard to examine the club on a street bustling with pedestrians on a Saturday night. So she read the name of the club again - Black Order - and read the neon lights again.

With a nervous, shaky breath, Lenalee sliced through the crowd, her heels clicking against the pavement. She hasn't seen Allen in almost three years since he moved out of Mater to Edo. They would often call or write letters to each other. Rarely, they would send pictures of themselves to their friend so they know they don't look too different but are growing.

Upon entering the club, the music she heard outside blared in her ears among the shouting and laughing of people. She pushed through the crowd near the front doors, glancing around for any patches of white hair. Allen wasn't expecting her to come to Black Order. In actuality, he wasn't expecting her at all. She's supposed to be home, but instead, came here. Never even told Komui, because one, she's mad at the elder, and two, he wouldn't approve of her coming here alone either. She _had_ to see Allen. She missed him so much, and she wanted to meet his friends.

But where is she to find the guy? The dance floor... Well, she hoped he wasn't over there. Lenalee would never find him there, so she checked the tables, the scent of just cooked pizza lingering in the stuffy air, thankfully droning out the awful scent of disgusting perfume and alcohol. To her relief, she found just the guy she was looking for sitting on the bar, cleaning a glass with a rag. A stoic, angry, tough-guy-looking with hair she wished she had, sat on a stool, downing a blue lagoon. A redhead wearing an eyepatch laughed, playfully shoving the childhood friend of hers, and Allen tossed the rag at him.

Hastily, Lenalee ran through the crowd straight to the bar. "Allen! Hey, Allen!" Lenalee shouted, waving her arm frantically till she got his attention. He blinked, the redhead saying something to him, and Lenalee leaped into Allen's arms. "Allen!"

Allen wheezed, hesitantly embracing the girl who just ambushed him. "Uh, hello, miss..." His eyebrows arched up uncertainly, warily, as Lenalee tightened her grasp around Allen's torso, a nostalgic feeling of her high school days washing over her. "Miss, who _are_ you?"

Lenalee gasped, stepping back. "You don't remember me, Allen!?"

The white-haired guy tilted his head to the side, eyeing her. Black hair, deep violet eyes, Chinese- "_Lenalee_?" he gasped, earning another hug from said girl. "Lenalee!" He smiled, enthusiastically embracing her this time in a tight bear hug. "My eyes aren't playing tricks on me, are they? Please tell it's really you."

"It's me." She looked up his face, looking deep into those gray irises. "And I got the right Allen, right?"

"I sure hope so," the redhead whistled. "You don't just go jumping at men like that. Not that we don't like prettys like you begging us to take you."

"Lavi!" Allen hissed, jumping off the bar and wrapping his arm around Lenalee's shoulders. "This is my friend. Don't speak to her like that."

"But Al, that's what she just did," Lavi protested, grinning. "So who she?"

"Lenalee Lee, my best friend." Lavi shook his head, other words, telling him he doesn't know what the younger guy was talking about. Allen sighed, squeezing Lenalee closer to him. "From high school in Mater?"

"Oh." His green eye widened in realization and he smacked his head. "_Ohhhh_. Duh."

"Red hair, eye patch, green eye, you must be Lavi," Lenalee remarked, then looking at the silent Japanese sitting two seats away from Lavi. "Then you have to be Kanda Yuu, right?"

The supposed Kanda huffed, studying her, then going back to his drink. "Tch."

"Oh, ignore him," Allen spoke up, and despite his words, pretended to kick Kanda in the ass.

"Yeah, the grump is planning a diabolic plan, don't you know," Lavi snickered, leaning on the bar, arms stretched on either side of him. "He tryin' to kill his good ole pops. Oops, guess that's gonna spread now. Forgive?"

"Go to hell and don't come back," Kanda growled, throwing his highball glass at him; Lavi ducked with a hearty chuckle. "Fuck, don't duck you fuckin' idiot-"

Allen covered Lenalee's ears, shaking his head, smiling apologetically. She simply rolled her eyes. "Are they always like this?"

"Sometimes," Allen half lied, gently pushing her away. "Let me get a good look at you," he explained, hands on both her arms. "Dear Lord, you've gotten prettier."

"Thanks." Lenalee placed her hand on her head, moving it toward his face. "And you've gotten taller!"

Allen grinned. At least she was someone who never made fun of his height, nor joked about it. But she was fuckin' A. Lenalee looked healthier than before, but... "What happened to your _hair_?" he asked cautiously.

Lenalee fingered a lock of hair with a forlorn sigh. "Car accident."

Allen's eyes widened incredibly. "_What_?"

She waved her hands around frantically. "Calm down. Komui and I only came out with a few scratches, I swear! Well, my hair got stuck and there was a fire after the crash, so they had to cut it."

"Lenalee!" Allen shook her violently. "When did this happen?"

"Four months ago..." She sheepishly answered.

"_Lenalee_!"

"What? I came out alive, Al. Take a chill pill." Lenalee crossed her arms, slanting her eyes as if to challenge him.

He huffed, mimicking her. "'Take a chill pill'. Easy for you to say."

"I don't see the problem, Allen," Lavi muttered, seeing this was about to climax. "She came out alive and _sexy_." Lavi waggled his brows, and Lenalee pointed at him.

"See?" she responded. "He understands."

"Yeah, and? Lavi's stupid, no offense." Allen offered a quirky grin to Lavi, who shot him a definite offended look. "And he didn't grow up with you." Allen tapped her chin, making her look at him. "Or Komui. But if you two weren't seriously injured..."

Lenalee smiled weakly. "Sorry, you're right. I should have told you, being my friend and all. I swear nothing bad happened to Komui or me, except my beautiful hair."

"At least I know you did hack the bloody hair off. That'd be a total shame." Allen shook his head to emphasize his words. Lenalee's small smile vanished and she looked at her feet, instantly making Allen feel bad.

"Not like it matters, the sexy defines sexy," Lavi's grin was impish. Allen kicked his shin, noticing Lavi eyeing her lady lumps and the redhead yelped, more shocked than anything.

"He's right, you know," Allen conceded. "You're as lovely as ever."

"Hey, Lenalee, right? Ya gotta boyfriend or somethin', cause I'd love-ouch! Yo, Al, knock your fuckin' shit off." Allen momentarily glared at Lavi, then Lavi grumbled. "Come on, Al, she's rockin', bangin' and fuckin' A."

"Keep talking Lavi, I'll shove my foot up your backside," Allen growled.

Lenalee had forgotten how protective Allen can be sometimes towards her, but he wasn't so... crude, is it? "Allen, I'm fine. No harm done. So own this joint?"

"_Hell _no. He co-owns." Kanda snapped.

"Whatever. _I_ mostly pay the damn bills and... just... Ugh, never mind." Allen huffed, staring at Lenalee pensively. "So _what_ are you doing here? I doubt Komui let you roam to _Edo_ all by your lonesome self."

"Who gives shit." Lenalee snapped.

The white-haired guy leaned forward in shock. "Wha..?"

"Who gives a shit, I said. I'm almost twenty-two, Allen, he don't need to know everyone I fuckin' go." Lenalee glared at nothing and Allen flinched at her sharp, angry tone. "Anyway, you said you wanted to see me again. Said you had something important to tell me. In person. So..?"

Allen scratched his neck nervously, thinking. _Komui's gonna kill me when he finds out she's here._ "Right, well, uh, do you have a hotel room or something?"

"No. I don't have anymore money. Used the last of it to come here, and either way, I just arrived."

"How?"

"... Promise you won't be mad."

And now Allen narrowed his eyes. "I don't make promises I can't guarantee to keep."

"I walked," Lenalee warily answered anyway.

"You walked! Lenalee, that's... _miles_. Three hours just by a damn vehicle!" Allen flailed his arms above his head, restraining from shaking her violently, oviously distressed. Lenalee stepped closer to Kanda, thinking maybe he would be helpful in warding Allen off. Not at all.

Allen stepped closer to her, pointing his finger at her nose angrily... Then, with a sigh, he looked at her trembling legs, and noticed she had no baggage. She had a few scratches, mud and dirt here and there. "All the way, Lenalee?"

"Not all the way." Lenalee whispered this time, looking slightly ashamed. "I hitched a ride halfway here, walked the other half."

"That's still pretty far." Lavi noted, concerned.

"Stupid." Kanda added, just to be a jerk.

"Allen, I know it's absurd and-" Lenalee stopped herself. No point in saying what everyone knows already. Besides, Allen looked truly dismayed as it was, she needn't add onto his burden. Maybe she shouldn't have come at all. It's clear he's changed somewhat. With a sigh, she turned, deciding to leave and find some way to get a place to bunk.

Allen grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "Don't go." He sounded slightly desperate. "Look... I have spare room at my apartment, so... Why don't you come home with me tonight, clean up and get some rest. We can talk about all this in the morning."

She nodded wearily, and Allen said something to Lavi, not wanting to hear Kanda's baggin', and then Allen guided her outside the club at an even pace, trying his best not to exert her. He often waved or replied to someone in the crowd. Lenalee never remembered when she got in a vehicle or when a humming vibration under her began. However, she remembered someone warm and someone who smelled choice, amazing, carry her somewhere and set her down on something soft and comfortable.

And she fell fully asleep within seconds, after faintly hearing Allen whisper, "I missed you."

* * *

_Okay, I've been wanting to write a story like this for a long, long time. But I didn't grow up in the 80s - this story is during the 80s by the by - so I try to make it as realistic as I possibly can and if anyone wants to help me by giving good reliable websites or info on anything at all, then please, do so. I will try to make the '80s vocabulary as similar as possible. Warning ahead of time, though, this story MAY have a mix of modern time/eighties junk in it. Again, help me, if you will. _

_Also, I'd like to say this story was inspired to by the musical movie RENT and some time after I first watched that, I read Novelist Pup's Any Way You Want It. (So, yeah... Long time ago, since I first read that story when it was in it twenty-something chapter) PAIRINGS? WELL, there will be heterosexual and yaoi, but the main pairing... Guess you'll have to read to find out. Lenalee and Allen can just be friends or more, but I was planning to put Lavi with her... So we'll see how things go._

_I hope you like this, and I hope you'll continue reading. AND I hope you will tell me what y'all think. Any questions? I'll answer and ry to clarify anything if it's confusing. Blah Blah Blah, usual, usual. HEED KNOWLEDGE: Title may change eventually. If so, let'cha know chapter beforehand, kay? All right._


	2. I'm Still Here

_**[ TWO ]**_

_**August 19th, 1986**_

Allen tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling as he rocked back and forth in his wooden chair. An envelope hung loosely between his fingers, sunlight illuminating his physique in the dark room. The water traveling in a sinuous stream down his face and bare chest sparkled. He's had the envelope for almost two months, never opened it either. He couldn't bring himself to. Not by himself. That's why he wanted to see Lenalee, knowing all too well he could trust her to keep this information - positive or negative - a secret, and that she wouldn't abandon him. Neither Kanda or Lavi were that vain and inconsiderate to jump ship on him either, but... Allen just couldn't tell them. Not _yet_.

He closed his eyes, nibbling anxiously on his bottom lip. He was starting to get cold and should probably put his shirt on. Then he heard a yawn, immediately craning his neck to look at the hall; Lenalee was coming toward him sluggishly, rubbing her eyes.

"Good morn'." Allen strained a smile, wincing when his voice cracked. Luckily, Lenalee said nothing nor looked at the white-haired friend, likely thinking it's because it's morning.

"I can't believe you still say that," Lenalee whispered, sitting next to Allen. "Thanks for letting me bunk here, Allen. What time did we get here last night?"

"Little after one."

"So... How have you been?" Lenalee asked, leaning on the table with yet another yawn.

Allen gulped, suddenly uneasy. "I... Well, I've been better." He hid the envelope in his lap, reaching for his black tank and sliding it on. Lenalee blinked, never taking her eyes off his face. "You see, I've found myself in a... predicament."

"This _predicament_ is why you wanted to see me, then?" Lenalee scooted closer, seeing a flash of pain spark in his gray eyes. "Allen?"

"We're still best friends... Aren't we?"

"Of course."

With a shaky breath, Allen hesitantly slid the envelope on the table. "This is from the hospital, where my doctor is. This is why I wanted to see you."

The black-haired girl cocked a brow. "Are you sick, Al?"

"... Maybe. I never opened it." He didn't want to.

"Why not?" Lenalee was starting to get really confused.

Allen slouched forward. "I wanted someone with me, a friend. Someone I can trust, and I trust you and your brother most of all."

Yes, that was sweet and Lenalee briefly smiled, then that anguish returned to Allen's expression. Fear. "Allen, I don't understand." And he rubbed his face, possibly hoping he would just disappear, so Lenalee gently put a hand on his shoulder, carefully grabbing his wrist and placing it on top of the envelope. "What is this about, Allen?"

Allen tightly held her hand. "This may be surprising to you, then maybe not. See, a lot of things happened after I moved here. I realized - don't freak, cause I think you never suspected this - I don't _just _like women."

She drew a blank. "What?"

"I'm gay," Allen gazed out the window, blushing. "Well, not _gay_. Bisexual. Can you relate?"

"Dear _God_," Lenalee's eyes widened and Allen panicked. "I mean, I just... I didn't expect that from you... Of course this _doesn't change anything_ between us. You're my friend. Always have been, always will be."

He smiled bashfully. "Thanks." Allen eyed the cursed envelope. "Furthermore, I took a bad turn when I got here. I can't think why I did it now, maybe I was depressed or lonely or mental." He expelled a quiet breath. "I became a junkie."

"You _what_!?" Lenalee shouted.

"I know, I know. You don't need to lecture me. I already... I heard it all."

And he was yelling at her for not informing him about the clean car accident? He got into drugs. "When," she demanded.

"During my first year here. Got really addicted, too. Seriously, almost died from an overdose, then I met Lavi and his grandfather. Kanda, unfortunately, was part of the package. I'm sorry I couldn't - I _didn't_ - tell you after I went clean. See, I wanted to tell you in person. Never got the chance. A letter or over the phone..."

Suppressing her anger about this, mostly because she did understand the part of not informing her without her being in person, Lenalee squeezed his hand. She sensed more bad news. "So, then, Lavi saved you?"

"Yeah, guess so. Anyway," Allen whispered, uncertain. "I had a few relationships. Sometimes it got _physical_." Lenalee blushed. "And, I don't know how to really say this, so I'll be straightforward, I think I have HIV, maybe AIDs, knowing my luck."

Speechless. HIV and AIDs repeated inside her head, and she quickly took the envelope from him. "Then this letter is-"

"The results."

"And you've had them over a month?"

"I tried opening it a few times. Don't worry... there's no way I could have spread it if _I_ am... You know." Allen bothered himself with keeping the idea that he was almost certain he had it anyway, to himself. So he couldn't open the envelope. His very life seemed to depend on it. It's, like, make or break it, just a tad different. "I don't think I can open it now either."

Lenalee understood, slowly opening the letter and watching her friend from the corner of her eyes. She held one side of the papers and he held the other side, unfolding them. For a moment, both stared blankly at the results, not actually reading them.

A gasp of horror and Allen lost it. "Positive." Lenalee whispered, embracing Allen and he buried his face in her neck, body shaking, and tears falling, though it shook her up, Lenalee squeezed her eyes shut, continuing to hold him close, listening to Allen's choking sounds. "Allen, I'm sorry."

"So am I," he managed to sob.

She felt her eyes burn, the warmth seemly dissipating. She never expected this, but she kept a strong hold on him, like old times when the other needed solace. And one question ran through her mind over and over again.

_Why is it the good people on the wrong side, always?_

The redhead looked at the door as it opened, his best friend holding the door open for his lady childhood friend to enter first. "Yo, Lena, Al, what up?" He grinned, kicking his feet up on one of the many tables.

"Nothing, really," Lenalee lied, but only because Allen asked her not to tell Lavi or Kanda, or anyone for that matter, quite yet.

Lavi stared at her, taking in the miniskirt and black leggings, which matched her fingerless lace gloves; she wore an over-sized black shirt, revealing most of her arms, with diamonds cut out on the shoulders, and the few splotches of what looked to be red splattered paint gave it a new intriguing looked, mainly cause he hadn't suspected Lenalee to favor that design. All in all, she looked amazing, though he was disappointed about not getting a good look at her cleavage... But had the nice curves around the hips. Needless to say, he stared.

"Thought you had one outfit yesterday?" Lavi asked, eyebrow cocked.

"Oh, I did." Lenalee interlaced her arms with Allen's. "He took me shopping this morning."

"Should have put a limit, too." Allen groaned, earning a laugh from Lavi. "Shut up! Maybe next time I'll have you take the girl shopping at a mall."

The redhead grinned mischievously. "_Alone_?" Allen came up to him and smacked the back of his head, pushing his feet off the table. Lenalee looked at him with scolding eyes, silent, but she sat next to Lavi and Allen settled in a seat opposite of them.

"You offered." Lenalee pointed out.

"Yeah, how stupid of me. Sorry, Lenalee, but you are the worst person to take to any place selling shoes and clothes instead of couches and food."

"Same vice versa in your case. If not for me, you would have bought MCD and three new couches."

"For the lounge in the club!" Allen protested. "Can I help it I have a thing for comfortable furniture? And food? _Food_. You can't go wrong-wrong there."

Lavi laughed at the interaction between the two. It was amusing to see someone else bicker with Allen in Kanda's place, and in a case where it doesn't get violent or threatening. Either way, both were sort of smiling.

"Wrong-wrong?" Lenalee asked. "What happened to your speech these three years?"

"_Nothing_. I just got rammed with a psychotic lunatic and hyper mocker seriously trying to become a pirate." Allen shook his head.

"Hyper mocker?" Lavi straightened. "I thought I was a fuckin' rad cyclops?"

"I never called you a cyclops." Allen deadpanned, tilting his head, his bangs falling in front o his eyes.

"No. You have called me other things though." Lavi eyed Lenalee again. "You censoring your language for the chick?"

"She isn't a _chick_, Lavi," Allen bemoaned, irritated. "She's a lady... most of the time."

"I'll pretend I didn't just hear that." Lenalee said, admiring the bracelets dangling on her arm. "Do I have the Madonna Look, boys? I wasn't trying for it, but you know, sort of looks like, don't it? Maybe I should go buy something else..."

"NO!" Allen covered his mouth after his accidental shout. He couldn't afford to take her to another store this month. To his dread, he bought her not three, not four, not seven outfits, but damn near an entire wardrobe. Lenalee knows how to get a person to splurge on her, especially Allen. Too bad that factor stayed the same.

"At least with me, all the food you need to worry about is pizza. Which, by the way, I notice there was a lot here last night." Lenalee suddenly changed topics, now admiring her nails for no particular reason.

_Damn, she got sassy_. Allen scratched his arm, looking at Lavi, who's been unnaturally quiet. "Uh, where's Kanda?"

"Don't know." Lavi shrugged.

An awkward silence hung in the air. Black Order hadn't opened yet since they only opened late on Sundays, hence the creepy silence. Lenalee took note that the club was darker during day time than night. Allen tried to find a subject to talk about, trying to take his mind off this morning. Lavi just took a gulp of cola, waiting for something. Initially, he says shit or crack lame jokes or those few that make people laugh, which people do laugh at _him_ if not the joke, since he was that 'awesome' in his mind. So he sat there, thinking of some radical line to put out there. A eerie tension faltered his mind's amazing thinking capabilities. He just sensed... a _secret_.

Yes, a secret. His senses tingled, eye slant, eyebrows furrowed, and he glanced from his friend to the friend's 'friend' next to him. Maybe she was more. Maybe not. But, indeed, there was a secret. There was, the was, he could almost taste it. What? was the question.

His finger tapped the cola can, a habit of his when he got into deep thinking. _Did Allen sleep with her last night? No. Did Lenalee do something to him or say something? _Why was it so difficult to think of something that could have possibly happen? What secret could there be that Allen wouldn't tell him? They were like, he dunno, closer than the closer than brothers pact. So... Ugh! Frustrating. He could think of a whole list of likely secrets, and he did, yet he knew they were all wrong. And he did: Eloping to London - Allen was from the UK, but traveled to America after roaming Europe for about a year or two - hiding Mary, stole money. He even thought of them buying or selling cocaine or heroine or some other sort of drugs, but he knew better than that from Allen.

The white-haired friend did drugs once, only because he got mixed in with the wrong person he had a crush on. All in all, Allen didn't even _know_ he was doing drugs for awhile - the person tricked him, and Al still never clarified the mess to Lavi completely - till after he became addicted. Thank God Lavi found him one day...

Finally, Allen spoke up. "You need to call Komui, Lenalee. Your brother-"

"Oh, I know. I'll call him when you give me a damn phone before he calls the damn police about me being missing." Lenalee groaned in exasperation, despite knowing this is her fault to begin with. "But now I gotta listen to his scolding and whining."

"Could be worse," Lavi posed, grinning wickedly.

"How?"

"You could have never met me and that would be a fuckin' shame."

Lenalee laughed delightfully, highly amused. Allen tilted his head, somehow missing the pun.

* * *

_If I do this correctly, I believe Lavi will be a more comedic character later on in this story. So please don't be disappointed with him right now for his subtleness! But, um, just wondering... Am I writing this with enough detail, cause for some reason it feels like I'm, uh, lacking? Normally I don't have dialogue overrule the details like this, but... I dunno. Writer's paranoia maybe. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! PS: Chapters will eventually get longer. I'm just gradually working with this one._


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